Polycarboxylic acid based fiberglass binder resins have been used in the glass industry for insulation and composite applications. Polycarboxylic acid based binders provide advantages in these applications in terms of mechanical properties and environmental safety.
One problem with the use of polycarboxylic acid binders is that there is no visual test available to determine whether the binder has sufficiently cured to the fiberglass network, as the network maintains a white opaque appearance regardless of the level of cure. Insufficiently cured bindered fiberglass networks exhibit poor mechanical performance.
Presently available technology to determine cure levels requires measurement of binder weight losses measured in a laboratory setting to determine whether proper curing is obtained, a process that is both time consuming and adds expense to the manufacturing process. Manufacturing lines must be slowed or stopped while these laboratory tests are performed to ensure that the bindered materials formed are sufficiently cured for the end use application. If the materials are not sufficiently cured, the bindered materials are discarded as waste and the line conditions altered to try to increase the amount of cure.
It is thus highly desirous to present a quicker and easier method for determining the amount of cure of the polycarboxylic acid binder coated materials. The method preferably should provide instantaneous feedback to a line operator to maximize curing efficiency and line efficiency while minimizing operating costs and waste.